In a kind of trial run all next week, Flores, 57, will be guest-forecasting on WOAI’s morning show. He’ll slip into the former shoes of seemingly departed David Mazza and do the weather for “News 4 Today” from 4:30 to 7 a.m. WOAI will see how the audience reponds to his return.

Today, on the 5 p.m. news, Flores said he’ll be given a sort of introduction by WOAI’s chief meteorologist John Gerard during the “Backyard Barbecue” segment.

“WOAI said ‘Let’s do it for a week and see what kind of audience response we get, so I’m hoping people tune in and respond positively,” Flores said in a phone chat late Thursday. “And if not, I’m back to sweeping floors. “

That’s hardly the case. Since leaving KENS back in 2002, Flores launched his own company, Diverse Media, a digital advertising company that builds websites, shoots commercials and industrial videos, things like that.

Should WOAI decide to hire him on permanently, Flores would welcome the job, he said. “That’s what I studied for, what my degrees are in.”

As one of this town’s truly recognizable faces, Albert is still continually stopped by people who want to know what the weather will be like. “I always have a forecast in the pocket, because I’m expected to know. It’s in my chemistry; the opportunity to get back in the flow is exciting.”

“I’ve met with them,” he said of WOAI’s management. “They’re very big on weather. . .and I like that kind of attitude.”

WOAI News Director Tom Bell, in a brief phone chat Thursday, sounded enthusiastic about Flores and his trial run. However, he did acknowledge the fact that the weatherman hadn’t left KENS amid ideal circumstances.

Flores and KENS parted ways back in late 2002, after the Express-News reported that Flores had plagiarized weather columns published in the paper under his name.

KENS explained not long after that it wasn’t able to resolve “differences” with Flores.

During the nearly nine years since, Flores has kept a comparatively low profile. “Nobody’s perfect. Everybody makes mistakes,” he said of that time. “Life goes on. I have another opportunity to go back and do what I love to do and I’m going to take it. Who hasn’t made a mistake or two in their life?”

“You know me,” he added, “I’m a really upstanding guy and very involved in the community, squeaky clean dude. . that’s who I’ll continue to be.”

It sounds like he still has it weather-wise as well. “I went in and cut an audition tape.” The response: “They were impressed that after eight years, I just got up there and did it. They liked what they saw obviously, and asked me back. It was like riding a bike.”

He said he’s losing weight, working out, got his hair colored again. “I’m going to look like ‘Uncle Al, the weather pal’ once again.”

One of the coolest things about returning to the air even for a short time?

Flores, who has been married for 36 years and has several grown children, said his four young grandkids “are going to see grandpa – ‘G-pops’ is what they call him — for the first time on television.”